“Friends Without Benefits”
By Hannah Selinger, The New York Times
This essay tells the struggle of a girl who was in love with her good friend for many years.
Readers are introduced to the author and a snapshot of her life after graduating college. Then the boy is introduced. This structure is very much chronological. Selinger tells the story like she’s recalling it to a good friend over a mug of hot chocolate. The piece is successful by using honest details to illustrate the emotional rollercoaster from her past.
I think the lead (consisting of the first few paragraphs) is the most successful and attention grabbing for this essay. She begins the essay with: “I met him when I was 22 and squandering a year of my life (and liver quality) working as a waitress in my Massachusetts hometown.” Selinger than gives background information that eventually leads to the meeting of one of her good friends, the guy. We don’t learn his name or even much about his character. She describes him through her own eyes. We know he’s good looking and eventually takes her through years of emotional loopholes.
The progression of the story is very natural and digestible. It’s easy to become emotionally invested in the story after Selinger makes it clear that it was unrequited love. Readers want to learn more. She recalls the milestones of their relationship as time goes by. She concludes by introspectively stating that she finally let him go.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/fashion/a-role-he-was-born-to-play.html?ref=modernlove
“A Role He Was Born to Play”
By Evan James, The New York Times
This essay illustrates the struggle of a gay man who tries to find his place within his family. I found this piece to be very unique from all other essays I’ve read, with the author’s impeccable use of humor. It easily could have been a schleppy story about discovering identity. Instead, James used carefully edited jokes and strong verbs to give readers a sense of his character.
The story is structured somewhat chronologically. It begins with him stating that he never wanted children of his own. The essay progresses with a background of his relationship with his family. The essay uses anecdotes from James’ experiences with his nieces. The anecdotes add a wonderful sense of life to the essay, and keep the story from becoming sad and woeful.
The conclusion uses an additional dose of humor as James describes the hypothetical future where he can give his nephews creative (not practical) wisdom. The tone of the final scene gives readers a sense that he’s content with the family role he has come to accept.
Modern Love essays can be very female-authored, so it’s nice to have a fresh, funny voice that still communicates the thinking around a serious decision. Good.